When Anxiety Strikes: Simple Tools to Calm Your Nervous System

As a health and wellness coach, one of the most common challenges I see my clients facing is anxiety. And honestly? I get it. We live in a world that's constantly demanding our attention, pushing us to do more, be more, and somehow keep it all together while we're at it.

But here's something I want you to understand: anxiety isn't your enemy.

I know that sounds counterintuitive when your heart is racing and your mind won't stop spinning, but stay with me.

Anxiety as Information

Psychotherapist Britt Frank puts it beautifully when she describes anxiety as one of our body's signal systems, alerting us that something's off—either we're in danger or we're out of alignment with our true feelings. Think about it: what would our lives look like without that internal alarm system warning us when something doesn't feel right?

The problem isn't that we experience anxiety. The problem is that we often don't have the tools to work with it effectively when it shows up.

Emergency Tools for Anxious Moments

When anxiety hits hard, you need practical interventions that work quickly. These aren't magic solutions that will erase your stressful job or financial worries, but they can help bring your brain down from "on fire" mode to a place where you can actually think clearly and make better choices.

Create Your Safety Inventory

I always encourage my clients to ask themselves: "What makes me feel safer?" Your answer might surprise you. Maybe it's curling up with a specific person who grounds you. Maybe it's that perfectly warm cup of herbal tea. For many of my clients, it's rewatching the same comfort show for the hundredth time—because knowing what happens next creates a sense of predictability in an unpredictable world.

Make your list now, before anxiety strikes. Then when you're overwhelmed, you can simply pick something from that list and do it. No decision fatigue required.

Ground Yourself in Your Senses

One of my favorite techniques is the sensory grounding exercise. When you're spiraling, pause and name five things you can hear, taste, touch, smell, or feel. You can also splash cold water on your face or smell something with a strong scent like lavender.

Why does this work? These strategies activate your parasympathetic nervous system—your body's natural relaxation response. They bring the logical, executive-functioning part of your brain back online so you can think more clearly.

The Body Scan Technique

Here's another powerful tool: notice where anxiety lives in your body. Does your stomach feel tight? Is your chest constricted? Name it specifically—don't just say "I feel anxious." Say "my stomach feels like it's on fire and tight."

Now here's the key part: find a part of your body that feels neutral. Maybe your left ear. Maybe your toes. Notice how that part feels fine—no pain, no tension.

Then alternate your attention between the anxious part and the neutral part. This mindfulness technique helps your nervous system understand that your entire body isn't in crisis. It can actually reduce the intensity of what you're feeling.

Moving Forward with Compassion

I want to be clear: these tools aren't about eliminating anxiety from your life. They're about changing your relationship with it. They're about giving you agency when you feel powerless. They're about remembering that even in anxious moments, you have options.

Your anxiety might be trying to tell you something. These techniques help you calm down enough to actually hear the message.

Be patient with yourself as you practice these tools. Like any skill, they get easier with repetition. And remember—you're not broken for feeling anxious. You're human, and your nervous system is doing exactly what it evolved to do.

The goal isn't to never feel anxious again. The goal is to have a toolkit ready when anxiety shows up, so you can move through it with more grace and less suffering.

What strategies help you manage anxiety? I'd love to hear what works for you!